


In the stars I find my fate

by xiushine



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Mentions of blood and injuries, Stardust!AU, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 16:20:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7113253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiushine/pseuds/xiushine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luhan is Minseok's greatest adventure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the stars I find my fate

The town of Wall was so named after the high grey rock wall that ran all along its east side. The wall separates the town from a large green meadow and the forest that lies beyond it. There is only one gap in the wall, and for hundreds of years, the people of Wall have posted guards at the opening to prevent the town’s people from passing through. However, every nine years, the Faerie market would come to the meadow beyond Wall and stay for a day and a night. On these occasions, the guard is relaxed, and the townsfolk are free to pass through.

 

When Minseok was three years old, he had only been allowed to observe the festivities from behind the safety of the wall. "It’s too dangerous for a little boy like you," his mother had said. He sat on his mother’s lap and looked through the window from their table at the local pub. He watched the glimmering lights and colourful tents of the fair and pouted.

 

As he grew up, Minseok heard stories about the market. The older villagers would speak of the unlimited assortment of delicacies and treats that were sold, of toys and tools and strange wonders. His older cousin had once showed him the hourglass he had bought from the market, an hourglass filled with blue sand that never ran out. No matter how long you let it stand, the upper bulb never emptied and the lower never filled. Minseok had stared in wonder, eyes round and large, as his cousin smartly informed him that it was filled with stardust. So when time finally came for Minseok to go himself, he was most excited and jubilant.

 

Minseok was twelve years old when his mother finally brought him to visit the Faerie market. He held on to his mother’s hand as they strolled through the fair, slowly taking in each stall and what they had to offer. 

 

They passed a stall in which a dark woman was lighting what seemed like a hundred candles, the amber flames dancing in feminine silhouettes, calling out to passersby; they passed a stall that sold armour made of flowers: daisy chains and petunia breastplates and lavender swords. He stopped in front of a stall that sold tiny crystal ornaments, and admired an intricate glass snowflake. When the stall owner noticed him staring, she picked it up and placed it in the palm of his little hand, and almost immediately, it started to snow lightly around him. 

 

He gasped in delight and looked up excitedly at his mother, hoping that she would buy it for him, but she shook her head lightly and simply said that having snow follow him around all the time would be most inconvenient.

 

Eventually, they came to a stall that was tended by a young man with a pleasant friendly face. His eyes were a light blue and his ears were distinctly feline, pointed and triangular with a soft dusting of dark fur, poking out from beneath his mop of hair.  The man told them about the products in his stall, cheerfully showing them magical trinkets and enchantments. In the end, Minseok left the stall with a glass globe, just large enough to fit snugly in his small palm. In it were swirls of everchanging colour, from gold to indigo, pink and teal. 

 

On the nights when thunderstorms rolled over the town and frightened Minseok with loud claps, the globe glowed and glistened in warm peachy colours, almost as if trying to comfort its owner. On these nights, Minseok would hide under his covers, clutching the globe tightly, watching the swirls until he fell asleep.

 

At seventeen years of age, Minseok took a job helping out at the local pub. The pub brewed the best beer in town and served dishes from all sorts of nations. The pub owner, Mr Cha, had been a traveller before he visited Wall and decided to stay. 

 

Every few weeks, new faces would show up at the pub, and Minseok would serve them drinks. He listened to tales of the world beyond Wall, of cross-country hikes and voyages at seas. He heard of the luminous sea of Tasmania, the enchanting blossoms of Japan, and of the grandeur of the ancient caves in Vietnam. Indeed, Minseok was no stranger to tales of wonder and adventure, and yet, all the thrilling stories of the world never measured up to the tales he heard of the places on the  _ other side _ of the wall. 

 

_ These _ stories were less common, for the folk of Wall were wary of what was on the other side of the wall, hence the wall and the guards, and the stories told were usually warnings of danger, meant to deter their young from wanting to cross the wall. But on the rare occasions when a positive account was recounted, Minseok was always captivated, the hand wiping down the counter stilling as he listened on with rapt attention. 

 

These stories, together with what he had seen in his short visit to the Faerie market, bloomed in Minseok a great curiosity and a yearning to explore the mystical land, cautionary tales be damned. After all, Minseok reasoned with himself, who ever got anything done by being cautious?

 

The Faerie market finally visited again when Minseok was of twenty-one years, and access through the gap in the wall was permitted. That night, Minseok bade goodbye to his mother with a kiss on her cheek and headed for the fair. He walked past the gap in the wall, past the festivities of the market, and across the meadow, towards the forest.

 

* * *

 

As Minseok walked past the line of trees marking the edge of the forest, he felt a warm breeze across his face, which smelt like the green of the trees and the blue of the night. Gripping the straps of his backpack, Minseok thought about how he was heading into Faerie, with no clue what to expect or where he hoped to go, in search of some grand adventure. He thought about his mother in Wall, and his room in their cottage, and the regular patrons at the local pub who would greet him warmly when they passed on the streets. 

 

Then he remembered all those nights he spent watching his swirling glass globe, and staring up at the stars, and looking out at the meadow beyond the wall. Minseok paused and took a deep breath, with a small nod, he continued forward, filled with determination.

 

As he walked, Minseok became aware of the growing warmth surrounding him, and the piercingly sweet scent that thickened with each step he took. The smell made him uncomfortable. Where sweetness would normally be comforting, this particular smell seemed to forebode something sinister. 

 

He looked around trying to find the source of the smell, perhaps some overly ripe berries, but all he could see were green trees and shrubbery. The wind blew again, and Minseok felt a chill run up his arms. He looked down, hands moving to tighten his jacket around his body, and was shocked to discover that his clothes were now in tatters. 

 

All along his coat were thin slashes and tears in the fabric that cut right through his undershirt. Even more shockingly, he found that there were scratches on his arms as well, thin slits that oozed little droplets of blood, and he wondered how he had acquired these wounds without realising it or even feeling any pain. 

 

As soon as he thought this, and now that he was aware of the injury, a great pain flared along his arms, burning and sharp, for although the cuts were small, they were numerous. He cried out, in panic and in pain, and was suddenly aware of the trees bearing down on him, their large leafy branches like claws reaching for him. 

 

He tried swatting at them, but the leaves pricked at his palms and he recoiled. He crouched down in an attempt to make himself smaller and get away from the branches, and he had just enough time to bemoan the end of his adventure so soon after it had begun, when he heard a small faraway voice.

 

“Get up!” the voice said, “Run left!”

 

Minseok could not tell who or where the voice was coming from, but having nothing to lose, he followed its orders. He got up and ran, and the trees rustled loudly around him, and reached towards him with thorny green vines. Then the voice rang out again for him to turn right, and he did. After what might have been a few minutes, Minseok’s running was interrupted when he collided into something. Minseok righted himself, and realised that he had run right into another man.

 

“Oh, you poor thing!” the man exclaimed as he looked over Minseok’s pitiful state. Minseok was about to drag the man to start running again when he realised that the trees around them were no longer as scary as they were before. In fact, they looked completely different. 

 

These trees were not a lush green, but were a brownish-grey colour from the dark of the night. Confused, Minseok turned back to where he had just come from, and saw the green trees in a huddle, a few paces from where he stood. He was about to ask what had just happened, when the man took out a small jar from the pouch hanging around his waist.

 

“Here, this will help with your wounds.” 

 

As the man started applying a thick green balm to the cuts on Minseok’s arms, he explained that Minseok had just walked into a trap of sorntrees, and that if Minseok had been there any longer, the trees would have eaten him right up. “You were lucky that I came by when I did,” the man smiled kindly, ”You see, when in a trap you are unable to perceive the true reality, but anyone on the outside would be able to see you just fine.” 

 

“I felt like I was running a far distance,” Minseok said, turning to look at the huddle of green trees, “but that only looks like a few trees, it couldn’t have been more than a few metres.”

 

“Yes, well, they have a way of playing tricks on your mind. When you heard me, you knew that there was a way out. But if you hadn’t, you would have been running for ages until you eventually collapsed from exhaustion and still you wouldn’t have made it out.”

 

They were silent for a while, Minseok recovering from his near-death experience, while the man tended to his wounds. Eventually, Minseok regained enough sense to remember his manners. He thanked the man and introduced himself with a small bow, to which the man replied with a beaming smile and a cheerful “I’m Baekhyun!”

 

“Come on, then,” Baekhyun said as he kept the jar in his pouch, “I’ll bring you back to my place, where you can rest for the night.” 

 

As they walked, Baekhyun chatted, cheerful and lively, and Minseok listened. Eventually, Minseok noticed that they were no longer surrounded by the dull grey of the forest at night but a cool calm lightness. He looked up to see the full moon, so unusually bright and clear that even under the canopy of the trees, the earth was illuminated. When Baekhyun saw him staring at the moon, he smiled.

 

“We’ve entered  the side of the forest constantly touched by light, sunlight by day and moonlight by night, where no evil can befall anyone,” Baekhyun explained, “We’ll be safe here.”

 

They arrived at a clearing in the woods, and in the middle of the clearing was a single sequoia tree standing where the moon shined the brightest, its size so massive that Minseok stopped in his tracks, staring in awe. 

 

Baekhyun continued on ahead to the opening at the base of the tree, vines draped across it like a curtain. When Baekhyun pushed aside the vines, a warm glow spilled out from within the tree. Minseok hurried forward to catch up with his new friend, and carefully stepped through the doorway. The sight within the tree was somehow more breathtaking than the view from the outside. 

 

He gawked at the spacious room around him for a minute, filled with furniture and other homely things, before running back out through the doorway he had just come through. He ran around the circumference of the tree, running his hand along the bark, and though it was indeed very large, it could not possibly have housed the room he had been in. 

 

He went back into the tree, and heard Baekhyun yell out, “Chanyeol, I’m home!”

 

“Its bigger on the inside!” Minseok exclaimed, eyes wide and confused. 

 

At that moment, a tall gangly man ambled into the room, a large grin and sparkly eyes on his face. He enveloped Baekhyun in an embrace and placed a kiss on the crown of his head, before their attention was redirected back to Minseok. The next thing that Minseok noticed about the man was his large ears, and with a closer look, Minseok noticed that they were pointed and elf-like. 

 

“Minseok, this is my husband, Chanyeol” Baekhyun piped up.

 

“Hello! Pleased to meet you! And yes, it  _ is _ bigger on the inside.” Chanyeol winked.

 

“But how can it do that?” Minseok asked.

 

“Ah, well, it’s only a simple bit of magic.” Chanyeol grinned, “Of course, me being a tree spirit and this being a tree does help.”

 

Chanyeol led Minseok to the dining table as Baekhyun rushed into the kitchen to fetch an extra set of cutlery and a bowl for their guest. As he set them down on the table, Baekhyun looked up at Minseok and exclaimed, “Oh! Look at the state of you! I had forgotten all about it.” 

 

Minseok looked down at himself then, and saw the holes in his clothes that the branches and vines had sliced at. He had forgotten about it too.

 

“Come on, I’ll get you something to wear, you look about the same size as me.” Baekhyun pulled him along.

 

Baekhyun led him to a bedroom, took some clothes from a wardrobe, and led him to a different bedroom, smaller and simpler than the one before. He placed the clothes on the bed before turning back to Minseok.

 

“You’ll sleep here tonight. When you’re done changing, you can come have dinner.” Baekhyun smiled, and exited, closing the door behind him.

 

Dinner was a rich pumpkin soup with lumpy rice, which although lumpy, was very delicious. Minseok thought it was the best pumpkin soup he had ever tasted, and he said so, to which Chanyeol grinned widely. While Minseok had already discovered that Baekhyun was talkative, he learned that Chanyeol was even more so.

 

“So, where are you from?” Chanyeol asked, “We don’t get a lot of visitors around here, especially not ones who are so easily awestruck by the sight of a bigger-on-the-inside tree”

 

Minseok blushed, for he knew he was being teased, and answered simply, “Wall”, before taking another bite of rice.

 

Baekhyun made a sound of surprise, and when he looked up, Minseok saw that Baekhyun was positively delighted.

 

“I was from Wall too!” Baekhyun said excitedly. Then his eyes softened, and his tone became nostalgic, “but that was a very long time ago... I’d say over a hundred years ago?”

 

Chanyeol nodded. At Minseok’s inquiring look, the pair chuckled.

 

“When I made my venture into Faerie,” Baekhyun began, “I, too, fell into the trap of the Sornwood. They’re really very devious creatures, those trees, and back then, Chanyeol was the one to save me. He brought me back here and welcomed me into his home like a familiar friend. I promised that I would be out of his hair in a few days, but when it came time for me to leave, he asked me to stay. So I did.” 

 

Baekhyun turned to smile at Chanyeol, “And I have stayed and loved him ever since.”

 

Baekhyun helped himself to more soup then, and Chanyeol continued the story.

 

“After a few decades, lines began to be visible across Baekhyun’s face, and his joints started to ache more often. He had aged, but _I_ looked as young as I did the day we first met. I still thought he was the most beautiful man I had ever met, but the dread of time and mortality weighed heavily upon us. I don’t live forever but I do live for a very long time, and I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Baekhyun.” 

 

“And there are these berries, you see,” Chanyeol continued, “ that can only grow by the tending of a forest spirit, that allows whoever eats it to become young again. And how fortunate it was that a forest spirit is exactly what I am! So I grew some for him, and every few decades he eats some, and that’s how he’s so young!”

 

“Immortality was never something that I had chased after,” Baekhyun smiled, “but it becomes much more appealing when you have someone to spend it with.”

 

Minseok stayed with Baekhyun and Chanyeol for a few more nights, and they taught him what he needed to know about surviving the enchanted forests of Faerie. Never trust the squirrels, they said, for they are most mischievous and nimble and they will steal things right our of your pockets.  And most importantly, never fall asleep in a forest on the second week of the month, because that is when the helm-mice come out to play. 

 

On the second day, Baekhyun brought him into the forest to help collect ingredients for dinner, and told him never to eat anything yellow, unless it was bigger than his head, for yellow toxin becomes ineffective in fruit that large. 

 

On the third day, Chanyeol brought him to meet some of his closest animal friends. Minseok stood by his side, smiling and waving, as Chanyeol introduced him to two wolf pups, a badger, and a large brown bear. Minseok startled when a small warbler landed on the top of his head, and then stood incredibly still when it sat itself comfortably in his hair. Chanyeol gleefully informed Minseok that Tally had taken a liking to him, just as the little bird sang out happily. 

 

On his last day with them, just as he was about to bid them farewell, they handed him a box, made out of thick sturdy vines that seemed to wrap all over the box but was in fact the box itself. Minseok opened it to find an assortment of objects inside, and Baekhyun began to pick out objects from the box to explain them to Minseok.

 

“This jar here, you’ll remember from a few days ago. The ointment will heal most surface injuries, but isn’t so effective on internal wounds.” 

 

He picked up a leafy pouch, and undid the stalk like a clasp. The leaf unfurled to reveal a small bunch of glistening silver berries. With gentle fingers, Baekhyun lifted up the berries. “These, here, unfortunately, are not the youth berries we told you about. We can’t just go around handing out immortality to every fellow who passes by, you understand, don’t you?” When Minseok nodded, Baekhyun continued, “What these  _ can  _ do for you is heal life-threatening ailments. These will be useful if you’ve eaten poison, or if you’ve gotten, say, raven fever. Which reminds me, do stay away from white ravens, will you?” 

 

Then, Chanyeol stepped forward and held up a single leaf, vibrantly green with veins of gold, “Keep this safe, and listen to it when you need help the most.”

 

When the items were safely placed back into the box, Minseok departed. Baekhyun and Chanyeol walked with him until they reached the edge of the forest, where the trio said their final goodbyes and exchanged hugs. With a full heart and a warm coat, Minseok headed down the valley. 

 

* * *

 

Minseok followed the sound of rushing water to a towering waterfall spilling into a wide lake. The water sparkled in the sunlight, throwing off rainbow hues, and the waterfall was like cascading diamonds. Minseok stood in awe, admiring the beauty before him, until he was suddenly jarred by the sight of a slumped figure by the bank. He called out to the man as he rushed forward but received no reply. 

 

The man was unconscious, with his head pillowed by his crossed arms on the bank. His lower half was in the river, where Minseok could not see, and Minseok hurried to lift the man out of the water. 

 

The man grumbled, and struggled weakly against Minseok’s hold on his arms. It was only when Minseok had the man halfway out of the water does he notice the shimmering fish tail where the man’s legs should be. 

 

Minseok dropped the man in surprise, sending him splashing back into the water. He gasped and scrambled closer to the water’s edge to see if the man is alright. 

 

The man floated back to the surface easily enough, his head appearing above the water surface as he looked blearily up at Minseok. When Minseok got a better look at the man’s face, he realised that he was more of a boy than a man. With petal pink hair, a soft tanned face, and a pout upon his lips, he was every bit the picture of youthful innocence. 

 

“Are you alright?” Minseok asked, “I thought you were a drowned man!”

 

“I was only taking a nap,” the merboy mumbled, grouchy to have been woken up.

 

“Ah,” Minseok chuckled bashfully, “I’m really sorry for waking you up.”

 

“I’m Minseok,” Minseok offered, and the boy squinted up at him, eyes adjusting to the sunlight.

 

“Kai,” he said faintly, still trying to clear the sleep from his head.

 

Just then, Minseok’s stomach rumbled hungrily. He kicked off his shoes and sat himself on the edge of the bank, legs dangling over the clear water. 

 

He dug around his backpack for food, pulling out some apples and a small tub of cream cheese. He took an apple and cut it in half, offering a half to the merboy. Kai quietly accepted it, and started biting into it when he sees Minseok spreading some cream cheese on his apple piece before eating it. 

 

Curious, Kai reached for the knife and spread some cheese onto his own apple, taking a careful nibble. Pleased with the taste, Kai hummed happily, and spreads more onto his apple. They finished a few more apples in comfortable silence, with Minseok swirling his toes in the cool water and Kai halfway out of the water again, arms rested on the bank to keep his torso out of the water. When they were full, Minseok packed away the remainder of his food, and Kai went back to resting his head on his crossed arms. 

 

“Do you take naps out here often?” Minseok asked.

 

“I like the sunlight, it’s warm,” Kai answered softly, “there isn’t much of it in the cave”

 

“So you live in a cave?”

 

“It’s behind the waterfall.”

 

Minseok looked away from the boy and towards the majestic waterfall, behind which he noticed the dim entryway to a cavern, now that he knew to look for it.

 

“Do you live alone?”

 

“No, I have a brother,” Kai yawned, “and my parents are off on a trip at sea right now.”

 

“Where are  _ you  _ from?” Kai asked in return, his eyelids slipping shut.

 

“Oh, I’m from Wall.” Minseok answered bashfully.

 

“Oh?” An eyebrow was raised, though Kai’s eyes remained shut, “Humans don’t often come around here.”

 

“Yeah, so I’ve heard.” Minseok smiled.

 

Then, a loud yelling jolted them out of their peace. “Jongin! Are you sleeping outside again?!”

 

Kai jerked upright, a brief look of panic on his face, before he seemed to recognise the voice and calmed down. The pair turned towards the cave where the voice was coming from, and Minseok watched as a figure emerged from under the waterfall. 

 

“How many times do I need to tell you to stop doing that? Its dange-” The boy stopped short as he finally noticed Minseok’s presence. His eyes widened comically as he looked between Minseok and Kai, trying to figure out what to do next.

 

Next to Minseok, Kai rolled his eyes, and dived into the water. Minseok watched his silhouette glide under the surface towards the new boy and emerge again next to him. Kai grabbed the boy’s hand and pulled him towards Minseok. 

 

“This is Sehun,” Kai smiled, “my brother.”

 

While the two brothers looked similar in age, they shared little else in appearance. Sehun was thinner, his face more angled and sharp, and with the most judgemental eyebrows Minseok had ever seen. Sehun was also much paler, and where Kai had pink hair, Sehun’s was silver. 

 

“Hello, I’m Minseok,” Minseok held out his hand for a handshake, but Sehun only looked oddly at the outstretched palm. 

 

“What’re you giving me your hand for?” Sehun asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

 

“Oh,” Minseok said dumbly, retracting his hand, “I’m not really sure.. You’re supposed to shake it. It’s what humans do when they meet someone new.”

 

“That’s weird.” Sehun said bluntly, earning an elbow to the ribs from Kai.

 

“I suppose it is.” Minseok chucked. Then he turned to Kai quizzically, “Jongin..?”

 

“Oh,” Kai blushed, “Yes, that’s my real name. Our parents taught us never to give out our real names to strangers.”

 

“And yet, you just gave one mine,” Sehun said pointedly, judgemental eyebrows turned to Jongin.

 

“Minseok’s not a stranger,” Jongin argued hotly. “He’s nice! He shared his lunch with me!” Now it was Minseok’s turn to blush.

 

“You can’t just accept food from every person you meet! What if it’s poisoned?”

 

“Well, it wasn’t! And he seemed nice!”

 

Sehun sighed, resigned, as if this conversation had been had many times before. He looked between his earnest brother, and the new friend he had made, and sighed once more.

 

Minseok spent another few days with the brothers. Sehun warmed up to him quickly and Jongin was always happy for his company. 

 

Minseok swam in the clear lake and lounged around their cave, which was surprisingly spacious and comfortable. He took naps often, because Jongin liked to, and he would often wake in the cave with Jongin curled around him, his heavy tail laid over Minseok’s legs. Minseok would smile, and pet Jongin’s hair, for he had always wanted a younger brother. 

 

Sehun, on the other hand was more subtle with his affections, only ever leaning his head on Minseok’s shoulder occasionally. Still, Minseok’s heart was full of fondness for the two brothers, and he decided that getting wrinkly skin was worth spending time with them in the water. 

 

His stay with them ended the night they saw a bright streak of light flying across the twinkling night sky. Minseok had looked up in awe, having never seen a falling star, but when he turned back to the brothers excitedly, he was met with expressions of worry and shock. 

 

His smile dropped and he asked, “What’s wrong? What’s the matter?”

 

“A star’s just fallen!” Sehun whispered in horror.

 

“Oh, the poor thing! I hope it landed somewhere soft...” Jongin said sadly.

 

Then, they heard a loud crash, and the water they were in rippled. Minseok became even more baffled when Sehun exclaimed and started pushing him out of the water.

 

“You have to find it!” Sehun insisted, “You have to help it!”

 

Jongin nodded urgently, “Yes! Please! Help it!”

 

The utter worry on their faces was too much for Minseok to argue against, and he packed his things and ran off in the direction they pointed out, their yells for him to hurry fading away the further he got. 

 

Minseok had hardly a clue where he was going, only knowing to head north where he had seen the star fall. He walked for what felt like hours, until he came across a large clearing. 

 

He heard something then, amidst the rustling of the tall grass, a sniffling whimpering sound, like someone was in pain but trying not to cry. 

 

“Hello?” Minseok said.

 

The sniffling stopped, but no reply came. Minseok could see a faint light from behind a large boulder, and he approached it slowly. 

 

“Excuse me,” Minseok said carefully, “are you alright?”

 

“Go away,” a voice said, raw and pained, “just leave me alone.”

 

Minseok walked around the boulder to find a young man sitting on the ground, hunched over and dirty with mud. He looked up miserably at Minseok, and pulled his sprawled out legs closer to himself, wincing in pain. He glowed faintly.

 

“I’m looking for a star, it fell and I need to see if it’s alright.” Minseok explained, crouching down to speak to the man.

 

“I broke my leg,” The man said sadly.

 

“I’m really sorry,” Minseok said sincerely, “What happened?”

 

“I fell,” he whispered, as if he did not want to believe it himself. 

 

Minseok scooted closer to get a closer look but the man shrunk away from him.

 

“I won’t hurt you,” Minseok promised, “I just want to take a look at your leg”

 

The young man slowly, shakily, extended his injured leg for Minseok to see. It was cut and bruised, and a little swollen. There wasn’t much that Minseok could do for the man , he wasn’t a doctor after all, but he took out the jar of ointment from Baekhyun, and carefully applied some of the balm on the cuts. 

 

Then, he got up and found some branches to fashion into a splint for the man’s leg, and a larger branch to use as a crutch. With his knife, he cut up one of his spare shirts and used the fabric to tie the splint to the man’s leg. 

 

“So, about that star,” Minseok began, trying to take the man’s mind off his injured leg, “you didn’t happen to see where it landed, did you?”

 

The man stayed silent, and when Minseok looked up from his leg, he was met with an incredulous look, as if the man could not believe what Minseok just said.

 

“What?” Minseok asked.

 

The man’s eyes widened, and he gestured wildly at himself and at his leg, looking at Minseok as if he was daft. Minseok wondered if he had offended the man by asking about a star when the poor man had a broken leg. As the man flailed about, glittering dust fell from his arms.

 

“You’re the star!” Minseok exclaimed. 

 

Minseok made a face so shocked, eyes wide and jaw dropped, that the star could not help but laugh. 

 

“I have to admit,” Minseok said, “when I came looking for a star, I was not expecting to find a man.”

 

“Then why were you so urgently trying to help it?”

 

“Ah, that..” Minseok laughed sheepishly, “Well, my friends saw you fall and insisted I come help you”

 

“Thank you,” the star said, “thank you for your kindness.”

 

Minseok was happy that he could cheer the star up. He was sure that he must be terribly upset and afraid to be so far from his place in the sky, and the least Minseok could do was be nice to the man.

 

The first signs of dawn were beginning to show in the sky, and the exhaustion from walking all night was beginning to creep up on Minseok, but they still had to find a doctor to tend to the star’s leg. 

 

“Well, I suppose we should get moving,” Minseok said, “we need to find you a doctor.”

 

The star nodded, and with Minseok’s help, he got shakily to his feet. They looked around them, unsure of which way to head. Minseok suggested randomly pick a direction and walking, but then the star shook his head, and firmly said, “We follow the moon.”

 

So follow the moon they did, and they hobbled slowly away from the clearing, the star supported by the crutch on one arm, and with the other arm slung across Minseok’s shoulder.

 

“I’m Minseok, by the way.” Minseok said, as he helped the star walk with an arm around his waist.

 

“My brothers call me Luhan,” the star smiled, “for I was a morning star.”

 

* * *

By mid-afternoon, the pair found their way to a nearby town. When they looked up for a last look, the sun was high in the sky, and the last glimpses of the moon were fading away. 

 

The townsfolk were most welcoming and hospitable, and directed them to the local healer. The doctor’s house, where he also worked, was a quaint little cottage with a large flourishing garden. Flowers and shrubs led up to the house, each type separated in neat plots and carefully labelled. The house itself was a warm mellow yellow, and on the windowsills sat more potted plants. 

 

The man that invited them in seemed to suit his house perfectly. He was warm and friendly, and had kind eyes, inviting them in quickly upon catching sight of Luhan’s leg. He introduced himself as Yixing, and led the pair to his work station. Minseok helped Luhan up onto the table, while Yixing ran off to fetch his equipment. 

 

Luhan looked around the house with a nervousness that befitted a man who had never been inside a house before. Although the house was homely and filled with lovely flowers and herbs, there were also the occasional unknown substances floating in yellowing jars. Minseok didn’t quite know how to comfort his new friend, so he settled for giving Luhan’s hand a gentle squeeze. Their worry was short-lived, however, when Yixing came bustling back, all happy chatter and dimpled cheeks. He got to work removing the splint and inspecting the broken leg gently. 

 

“Hmm, it seems you were lucky to have landed on soft mud,” Yixing said, “or this could have been much worse.”

 

“As is,” Yixing continued, “I’ve got just the thing to fix you right up.”

 

He fetched a jar from one of his many cabinets, and handed a leafy herb to Luhan and told him to chew it. Then, he scooped a black tarry salve into his hands, rubbed his palms together and took hold of Luhan’s injured lower leg. Yixing took a deep breath, and smiled brightly at the chewing Luhan. 

 

The atmosphere in the room shifted, the air around them seemed to stop moving and speed up at the same time. Yixing began chanting and his eyes glazed over in white, engulfing his irises. Startled, Minseok looked between the doctor and his patient, but Luhan seemed oblivious and at peace, still chewing contentedly on the herb in his mouth and twinkling softly. 

 

The salve glowed in Yixing’s hands, and Minseok watched as it slowly seeped under Luhan’s skin, travelling along the veins in his leg. Then there was a loud crack, and the energy in the room slowly fizzled out. 

 

Yixing walked away to pour Luhan a cup of medicine, or it could have been tea, it was pleasantly aromatic, and when he returned, Minseok noticed that his eyes were back to normal, a smile once again on his face. 

 

“You may feel some tingling in your leg,” Yixing told Luhan, “but let it rest for a few more hours and you’ll be able to walk again.”

 

With Minseok’s help, Luhan settled himself onto Yixing’s sofa, and was happy to munch on more herbs that Yixing handed him. With his patient taken care of, Yixing turned to Minseok. 

“Tea?” Yixing offered, heading towards the kitchen, “Or coffee?”

 

At the mention of coffee, Minseok brightened and followed Yixing into the kitchen eagerly, “Coffee please!” 

 

“So,” Yixing started as he began making coffee, “What’s a human from Wall doing with an injured star in Faerie?”

 

Minseok startled, for he had told the man nothing of where he came from or who he was. “How did you know that?”

 

“Witchdoctor,“ Yixing winked as he tapped his temple with a finger, “the star’s injury told me everything I needed to know.” 

 

At Minseok’s confused expression, Yixing smiled, and reached for Minseok’s arms, where the barest hints of his scars were fading away. His eyes flashed white again, and a chill went up Minseok’s arms. 

 

“Sorntrees, right?”

 

“Whoa!” Minseok exclaimed, nodding excitedly.

 

Yixing laughed, such amazement at magic was a rare sight in the lands of Faerie, and handed Minseok his coffee. “Really, what brings you to Faerie? Not many humans venture this far past the wall.”

 

“I’m just looking for an adventure.” Minseok answered simply, sipping his coffee. It was a particularly deep brew, like Minseok was sipping on the dark expanse of an infinite chasm. It was unlike any coffee Minseok had ever tasted.

 

“Adventure?” YIxing raised an eyebrow, “That’s awfully brave of you, or perhaps reckless, considering you don’t know a thing about Faerie.”

 

“I’ve been alright so far,” Minseok shrugged, “Besides, I think I would have regretted not coming more.”

 

Yixing looked at him for a moment, considering, then nodded approvingly. He led Minseok away from the kitchen and into a room filled with glass cabinets and display cases.

 

“I have a few things that may help you in your time here,” Yixing said, pulling a few things from different cabinets, “they will come at a price, of course.”

 

“This,” Yixing handed Minseok an opal medallion, “is a protection charm against hexes and curses. Keep it in your pocket.” 

 

The opal glittered a rainbow of colours, changing and shifting as Minseok turned it over in his hands.

 

“Now this,” said Yixing, “this is very hard to find, but I believe it will do you good on your journey.” He held a black candle stub in his hand. 

 

It was about two inches long, well used and melted, its wick charred black and crisp. When Minseok held it in his hands, it was heavier than he expected.

 

“It’ll be useful, say, when you’re at the end of your journey and would like to head home, or if you have somewhere you need to get in a hurry. Just light the wick, think about where you want to go, and walk.” Yixing explained, “ Do keep in mind, of course, that babylon candles are very hard to come by, and there isn’t very much of it left. So choose when to use it wisely.”

 

Minseok nodded, and slipped the candle into his coat pocket along with the medallion. 

 

“Now then,” Yixing smiled, “what can you give me in exchange?”

 

Minseok thought about what he had in his backpack and made his offer, “How about some silver berries from a tree spirit?”

 

Yixing’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open, “Show me!” he exclaimed.

 

Minseok hurried to his backpack and returned with Baekhyun’s box. At the sight of the vine box, Yixing exclaimed again, leaning forward eagerly as Minseok opened it. When Minseok handed over the pouch of berries, Yixing’s eyes were filled with wonder and reverence, like a child with candy. 

 

“This is amazing!” Yixing half-yelled, “Just imagine how much healing I could do with these! How did you get these?”

 

“A tree spirit and his husband gave them to me,” Minseok laughed, “They’re my friends.”

 

“You befriended a tree spirit?” Yixing asked, impressed, “You really have been doing alright. More than alright, I’d say.”

 

Minseok beamed, it felt nice taking a break from being the person in awe for once.

 

“This is far too valuable to exchange for what I gave you!” Yixing insisted, and scurried off to another room.

 

When he returned, he came bearing a small sack filled with things that jingled and chimed as he hurried back into the room.

 

“Alright, so in here I have some local currency, I assume you haven’t got any of that? Your human money isn’t valid in Faerie, I’m afraid,” as he spoke he set the sack on the table and began pulling things out to show Minseok.

 

“There’s also some other useful stuff like a compass, a little tool kit for emergency repairs, some small vials of medicine and herbs, I’ve thrown in a list of what’s used for what, and some more charms for protection and luck and other stuff.” Yixing rambled off the things in the bag and when he was done, he heaved a deep breath and grinned giddily, “I really cannot thank you enough for the berries.”

 

Minseok was stunned, he hadn’t known that the berries could be worth so much. Sure, he knew they’d be useful, but Yixing was so genuinely excited to have them. If Yixing could do better work with them, then Minseok was happy to give them to him, even without all the extra things in return. Still, Yixing insisted, pushing the sack into Minseok’s hands and refusing to take no for an answer. 

 

After a few more hours of sitting around Yixing’s living room having a lively chat, Luhan looked as good as new. He seemed to have grown a healthy attachment to Yixing, laughing over the stories he told them of his many patients, and positively glowed with happiness. Minseok watched them fondly, smiling as he watched the star shine and the doctor laugh himself to tears. 

 

As the sun set, the exhaustion from not having slept for a whole day hit Minseok with a yawn so massive, it surprised all three of them. Another round of laughter broke out in the room, and when they finally collected themselves enough, Yixing offered to bring to them to the town inn where they could have dinner and rest for the night. 

 

The next day, Minseok and Luhan were set to continue on their journey. They visited Yixing’s cottage to say goodbye, and thanked him once again for his kindness. 

 

Yixing pulled Minseok in for a hug, and when he was close enough, he whispered in Minseok’s ear so that Luhan would not hear, “Take care of him, alright? There are people out there who will wish to cause him harm. Protect him.”

 

He released Minseok, who was a little taken aback, and pulled Luhan close next, squeezing tightly. Their eyes met over Luhan’s shoulder, and Minseok nodded.

 

* * *

They travelled north along a dusty road, exploring and figuring out their way as they went along. Rarely would they come across any other travellers, save for the lone merchant carriage that rolled past them noisily. They slept beneath the shelter of trees and Minseok ate the fruits left in his bag, or picked from the trees and bushes.

 

On a particularly cool and clear night, the pair laid themselves out on the grass, staring up at the glittering night sky. Luhan pointed out his brothers and sisters in the constellation Orion, and told Minseok that each constellation was a different family of stars. 

 

“See the space between those two stars? That’s where I stood.” Luhan said, pointing, “The two stars at my side are my closest siblings. I believe the humans named us Orion after a hunter? Well, supposedly we three represented the deer in the hunting pack, and the two bright stars in the front and the two bright stars in the back were the hunting dogs.”

 

“You humans are always so imaginative, going around and naming everything.” Luhan smiled,  wistfully, “Little do you lot know just how massive the universe is. You’ve barely scratched the surface.”

 

Minseok remained silent, though he had very much on his mind. When he walked into Faerie, he knew he was in for adventure and discovery, that he would see and learn many things that were different from his own world. Yet here he was, lying next to a fallen star, and suddenly he felt overwhelmed. He considered, for the first time, that perhaps it was rather foolish of him to run headfirst into Faerie with neither knowledge nor direction.

 

But then he remembered Luhan next to him, remembered how he had fallen right out of his home in the sky and gotten injured. If anyone had a reason to be upset, Minseok thought that it should be Luhan.

 

Minseok looked over at Luhan then, and saw the way Luhan was staring up at the sky, eyes rueful and longing, and his heart felt heavy. His hand sought Luhan’s and gave it a reassuring squeeze. 

 

“We’ll find a way to get you home,” Minseok said softly.

 

Luhan looked at Minseok, then turned on his side to face him fully. He smiled, a soft gentle smile, and said, “Thank you Minseok, you have already done so much for me, but stars fall, they don’t go back up.”

 

Minseok shook his head stubbornly, his throat burning, “There must be something in this magical land that can get you back up,” he insisted, “We’ll find a way.”

 

* * *

In their third week of travel, they came across an inn that was an exceptionally welcomed sight for the pair. Luhan had been complaining about his tired legs for the better part of the past hour, and Minseok was feeling absolutely ravenous. He thought grumpily about how none of the novels he read ever mentioned the hero being this hungry. 

 

As they walked through the doors, there was a roar of thunder behind them, and rain began to pour down heavily. In the inn, they found the innkeeper to be a skinny middle-aged woman, who welcomed them to The Corseco _.  _

 

She brought them upstairs, and insisted that they get a room each. The innkeeper called upon a young man to show Minseok to a room and bring him something to eat and drink, while the innkeeper pulled Luhan along to a different room. After all, she reasoned, it does even close companions good to have some time apart in their travels. 

 

The innboy was silent even as he led Minseok into the room and left again to get his food. His gaze was blank and unfocused, and he unsettled Minseok greatly. Left alone in the room, Minseok set his backpack down and laid out across the bed. 

 

He was disturbed out of his dozing when something in his backpack started chiming. Upon inspection, Minseok realised it was one of Yixing's charms. He pulled out the runestone, watching it glow red.

 

The innboy returned then, with a tray of bread and a mug of warm tea. He placed it on the bedside table and walked out again, silent as ever. Minseok's stomach growled and he reached for the warm mug. 

 

Then, the runestone in his palm burned up and Minseok yelped, releasing the items in his hands in shock. Both the mug and the stone clattered to the ground, and Minseok watched as the tea bubbled and fizzled on the floor. Soon the tea was gone, and in its place was a hole corroded onto the hardwood.

 

The tea had been poisoned, and the chiming, glowing runestone had been a warning for Minseok. Yet now that the danger had been avoided, the runestone continued to glow an ominous pulsing red. Outside, the wind screamed.

 

Heart pounding in his chest, Minseok rushed out of his room, and ran straight into the stone-faced innboy who had been standing outside his door. Minseok tried to push past him, but the innboy would not move. Suddenly, he reached out and gripped Minseok's arms. Minseok cried out in pain, the innboy's grip like constricting shackles.

 

"Luhan!" Minseok cried out, terrified and desperately hoping his friend was alright.

 

He heard the innkeeper screech in Luhan's room, and the door slammed open, revealing Luhan, eyes wide in alarm. Behind him, the innkeeper drew her cleaver, a menacing, black thing made of glass-rock, from under the bed and lunged at Luhan.

 

"Run!" Minseok screamed, and Luhan narrowly avoided the woman's blade.

 

Luhan ran at the innboy, shoving him away from Minseok, and the pair staggered down the hallway.

 

"Get them!" The woman shouted.

 

The innboy ran towards them, and Luhan and Minseok leapt out of his way, sending him tumbling down the stairs. He landed with a thud and a crack, and laid unmoving and limp.

 

The innkeeper screamed in fury, advancing upon them. They ran down the stairs, jumping over the innboy's body, and headed for the door, which had been flung open by the bellowing winds.

 

They were close to their escape when the door slammed shut again. Minseok tried the doorknob and found it locked.

 

The witch laughed behind them.

 

"It would have done me better to have carved out the burning heart of a happy star," She told them, taking a step forward, "but even the flickering heart of a star in fear is better than no heart at all."

 

Minseok looked around the inn for an escape. He considered jumping out the window, but just as he set his eyes on them, blazing green flames came to life on the windowsills. The witch grinned a malicious, evil grin that made Minseok's blood run cold.

 

Beside him, Luhan let go of his grip on Minseok's arm and ran for the fireplace. He grabbed the fire iron and turned on the witch, flinging the metal rod at her like a javelin. With surprising accuracy, the iron lodged itself in the witch's shoulder and she howled.

 

Minseok hurried to Luhan's side, and they watched in horror as the witch grabbed the iron firmly and pulled it from her shoulder. With one hand gripping her wounded shoulder and the other holding her cleaver, she walked towards them, huddled by the fire.

 

Thinking desperately, Minseok reached into his coat pocket clumsily. His left hand closed around the candle stub and he pulled it out. With his right hand, he gripped Luhan's hand.

 

"Luhan," He said, pulling the star's attention away from the murderous woman that was quickly approaching them, " _ walk. _ " __  
  


And he thrust his left hand into the fire.

 

Pain engulfed Minseok's hand, and the witch stared at him as if he was insane.

 

Then his wick caught, and burned, and the world began to shimmer around them.

 

"Walk now," Minseok begged, "Don't let go of me."

 

They walked away from the inn, the screams of the witch fading into the howls of the wind.

 

They were in a forest, surrounded by red and orange and yellow trees, the moonlight streaming down through the canopy. With another step, they were in a cave, the candle flame flickering in the darkness, dripping water echoing in their ears. Then they were in the clouds, the flickering lights of a town far below them.

 

It was then that the last of the wick burnt out and the wax ran molten over Minseok's hand, and the pain became impossible for Minseok to bear.

 

Minseok let go of Luhan's hand, and sat down on the cloud, clutching his left hand to his chest. He was tired and afraid and in pain that he did not feel like dealing with it while standing up. His hand was red and starting to blister where the flames had burned his flesh.

 

Luhan knelt down beside Minseok and gathered some of the soft cloud into his hands. "Let me see your hand." He said, and proceeded to wrap the cloud around Minseok's hand.

 

The cloud was soft and cool, and it eased some of the pain from Minseok's hand.

 

"You saved my life," Luhan said softly, "You keep doing that."   
  


Minseok looked at Luhan, who was looking at him with guilt and shame, and he felt his heart stutter.

 

"I didn't do a very good job of getting us out of trouble though," Minseok sighed, looking around them.

 

Luhan sat down beside him, and they were silent for a while, for what was to be said in a situation like this?

 

Minseok looked down at the town thousands of miles below them, reduced to a tiny cluster of lights and squares from this height. He was surprised by his own calmness, perhaps he was too tired, and was content to take comfort from the fact that he was not falling through the clouds. 

 

He stretched out and laid back, sticking his hand into the cloud. He found that it became colder the deeper he pushed his hand.

 

"Oh," Minseok spoke, after a long while, sitting upright again, "I left my bag behind in that inn."

 

"We have nothing now," he told Luhan, "Turns out this day  _ could _ get worse."

 

"The clouds won't hold forever either," Luhan added softly, as if not wanting to break bad news but needing it known anyway, "There's also that."

 

Minseok sighed, and got to his feet. "Well, as long as we're up here, we might as well take a look around."

 

* * *

They walked about for a few hours. The cool wind blew in their faces and the clouds they walked on continued to float across the sky. It was around the moment when they were starting to lose hope that a great shadow loomed over them.

 

At first Minseok thought it was a large dense cloud floating above them, but with a closer look, Minseok saw that it was too solid to be a cloud and was distinctly shaped like a ship.

 

Then the bow of the ship broke through the mist, and the pair barely manage to scramble out of its way.

 

Luhan and Minseok started yelling and jumping, waving their hands frantically above their heads, hoping to catch the attention of the people on board.

 

"Hello?" came a voice, and a head peeked out from over the side of the ship, looking down at them.

 

"Help!" They yelled, "Please!"

 

The man's head disappeared from the side of the ship for a moment, and they heard some shouting on deck, before a long rope ladder tumbled down to them.

 

"Step on," the man shouted, "We'll pull you right up!"

 

Luhan climbed on, and reached out to steady Minseok's left arm as he grabbed onto a rung with his good hand. Then, the two men dangling awkwardly at the bottom of the ladder, were slowly hauled up, several feet at a time.

 

Minseok looked down, the cloud that they had just been standing on had vanished, blown away by the wind. Below them, a river snaked across the mountain valleys. Minseok squeezed the rung in his hand tightly, pulling his body closer to the ladder.

 

When they reached the railing, several hands reached out to pull them on board and they clambered over the railing and onto the deck.

 

A tall man, Minseok recognised him as the one who had looked down at them before, was the first to greet them. "Welcome aboard,"  He said,  "Captain Kris Wu, at your service."

 

"I'm Minseok, and this is Luhan," Minseok replied, "Thank you for your help."

 

Kris took notice of Minseok's hand then, and called out, "Taozi! Bring our friend here to the infirmary, and tend to his hand, will you?"

 

Another tall man stepped forward, though he looked much younger than his captain, and if Minseok was little intimated by the man's cold expression, well, nobody had to know. He led Minseok to a cabin and quietly smeared a thick orange ointment onto his hand and wrapped it in a bandage. Afterward, he led Minseok to the ship's small dining room, where the rest of the crew were already beginning to gather.

 

Kris sat at the head of the table, with the first mate, Zitao, at his left, and insisted that Minseok and Luhan take the seats at his right. Minseok counted five other crew members settled around the table, and they were shortly joined by the cook who brought out the last of the dishes.

 

"Thank you for the meal, Kyungsoo." The crew members said in unison.

 

The cook, Kyungsoo, smiled briefly, and looked to Kris to start the meal.

 

At night, Minseok and Luhan were given the use of Zitao's cabin, where they slept on bunk beds, while Zitao himself moved to the captain's cabin.

 

The next day, the crew invited the pair on deck and showed them the riggings and taught them how to maneuver the sails. Kris informed them that the ship was on a lightning-harvesting commission and, with a wink, told them to be prepared for storms.

 

Indeed, in their time there, Minseok and Luhan had the privilege to encounter some truly impressive storms. 

 

On one remarkably chilly morning, Kris retrieved a metal contraption from the storeroom, and placed it in the middle of the deck. He fiddled with dials and switched, and the rest of the crew gathered around him eagerly. The contraption whirred loudly and then let out a loud clear  _ clang _ . 

 

Kris looked up, a grin on his face, and said, "There's a big one coming, boys."

 

For the rest of the day, the anticipation was palpable on board the Exordius as the crew members prepared themselves for the storm. They dragged out a large copper chest and strapped it down to the deck, and laid out several smaller copper cylinders, which they checked and double checked. 

 

At around dusk, the sky-ship approached the dark storm clouds, as tall and dense as a forest, and sailed right into it.

 

The rain thundered down onto the deck, the wind howled and whipped at the sails. The crew took hold of their cylinders and got to work. Bolts of lightning crackled around them, and one by one, were zapped right into the cylinders. 

 

Some bolts were stronger than others, and one knocked Zitao off his feet. But his fall was met with cheers, and he got up quickly, grinning proudly at his catch. 

 

Every few minutes, the crew members would rush to the copper chest and unload their cylinders, the electricity rattling in the metal box. Minseok and Luhan were wet and chilled to the bone, but they found themselves laughing with exhilaration, clutching onto the railing to keep steady in the ship's turbulent rocking.

 

When the storm passed, the crew were exhausted, but satisfied, for they had caught many fine lightning bolts. That night, Kyungsoo cooked them a feast, and they had a merry celebration. 

 

On their second week, Minseok and Luhan were sat in the captain's cabin, sharing a round of spirits, when Kris finally asked them how they came to be stranded upon a cloud. His question surprised Minseok, for the excellent time he had been having on the Exordius had allowed him to all but forget about the horrible witch-woman.

 

They began to tell Kris about their experience in the inn, and as the memories returned to them, they grew increasingly animated in their storytelling, raising their voices and flailing their arms in emphasis. Kris listened to them intently, brows furrowed and expression increasingly troubled as the story progressed.

 

A long silence followed Minseok's conclusion of the story, as the pair waited for the captain to say something.

 

"Wow," Kris finally said, letting out a deep breath, "The two of you have been through a lot."

 

Then, more seriously, he told them, "We'll be making port in a few days, to replenish on provisions and take on cargo. It'll be best to drop you off there."

 

Minseok's eyes widened, he wondered if the captain had decided to abandon them now that he knew they were being hunted.

 

"There's someone who may be able to help you." Kris continued, "He's an old friend of mine, and the strongest wizard I know. The people of Faerie know him as Suho. If anyone can protect you, it's him."

 

A week later, Minseok and Luhan found themselves on solid ground once more, and they said their goodbyes to the crew of the Exordius. Kris gave them a leather satchel filled with dried meats and fruits, a knife, and a quartz prism attached to a chain, like a necklace. Behind him, Zitao stood with tears brimming in his eyes as he sadly waved goodbye.

 

* * *

Minseok threw the quartz necklace in the air, caught it in his palm, and noted which way the gemstone pointed. Then he turned to face another direction, threw the stone in the air and caught it again. It pointed in the same direction as before. He tried it again, and still the quartz pointed in the same direction. Minseok nodded, satisfied, and slipped the necklace around his neck. 

 

“That way,” he told Luhan, pointing in the direction the quartz had pointed, and they continued their walk.

 

They had been travelling like this for six days now, following the direction of the quartz in search of Suho. Minseok thought about how, although he had not known what to expect when he came to Faerie, he had not thought that there would be quite so much walking. Still, Minseok was glad that Luhan was with him, he made the walking more pleasant.

 

“When all this is done and settled,” Luhan said one afternoon, “when we rid ourselves of the murderous witch problem, that is, I think I should like to stay in a town or a village for a week or two.”

 

“I liked when we were on the Exordius,” Luhan explained, seeing Minseok’s confused expression, “It was nice to wake up in a familiar place after all that travelling.”

 

“Perhaps we shall,” Minseok nodded. 

 

That evening, as Minseok gathered fruits and nuts for dinner, Minseok heard a soft melody. He looked around, and found Luhan singing to himself as he gathered firewood. It was a slow tune, foreign and extraordinary, and it captivated Minseok.

 

When Luhan finished singing, Minseok let out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding, “That was beautiful.”

 

Luhan turned to him, and smiled. “Thank you,” he said, “my brothers and I would sing together often.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Minseok said, “you must miss them very much.”

 

“I do,” Luhan looked up at the dark sky, “But I was lucky to have fallen in Faerie, and I was lucky to have met you.”

 

* * *

Another week passed, and the pair found themselves halfway up a mountain. 

 

Minseok was delighted to discover a litter of baby hares, huddled close to each other in a tree hollow, and had crouched down to coo over them when he noticed that the mother hare was nowhere to be found. Worried, he insisted that they camped there for the evening, in case any predators found the babies. 

 

When the mother hare finally return with food for her children, Minseok was already half-planning to bring the litter with him for the rest of his journey should the mother fail to show up. 

 

“Oh, look!” Minseok nudged Luhan, “The mother’s back!”

 

And then something happened that neither man nor star had expected. 

 

“What do you want with my children!” The hare shrieked shrilly, though it was not very loud coming from its small body.

 

Minseok screamed and jumped up. Shocked speechless, he flailed at Luhan, gesturing wildly at the mother hare.

 

Luhan laugh, until he was breathless and clutching at his stomach, and the mother hare sat there watching the two men fall all over themselves.

 

When they had collected themselves enough, Minseok cleared his throat and said to the mother hare, “I’m sorry, I just wanted to make sure nothing came and hurt your litter. I was waiting to see if you’d return.”

 

The hare stared at them, and Minseok felt rather self-conscious under the animal’s scrutiny. He backed away from the tree slowly, pulling Luhan along with him, as if trying to prove that he meant no harm. 

 

The hare hopped over to the tree hollow and checked on her children before turning back to the pair. It twitched its little brown nose, and said in a gentler tone, “Thank you.”

 

They smiled, and were content to pack up their things and continue along their journey. They had barely walked a few metres when they came across a cat sitting right in the middle of their path, staring up at them with large blue eyes.

 

The cat meowed once, looked between Minseok and Luhan, and then, slowly, he turned and walked away down the path. Later, if Minseok and Luhan were to be asked why they had followed the cat all the way to the nearby town, they would not have been able to give an answer other than that they had felt it right. 

 

The cat led them to a bustling town, and as soon as Minseok walked through the town boundaries, he could already feel traces of magic in the air. Then the cat sauntered around the corner and disappeared from their sight, and they were left to find lodging for the night. 

 

The next morning, Minseok threw the quartz into the air again. This time, when he repeated it three times to make sure, the quartz gave a different direction each time.

 

“That’s strange,” Minseok frowned, “Do you think all the magic in this town is messing with the quartz?”

 

“Or maybe it means we’re close?” Luhan suggested, trying to be optimistic and secretly hoping their search was nearing its end.

 

“Let’s hope so.” Minseok shrugged. 

 

They headed out for the town market to seek breakfast, and found the town to be a very lovely bustling place indeed, which they had not noticed in the dark of the night. Minseok was about to try some of the peaches a stallholder offered him when a voice spoke up behind him.

 

"First you follow a cat to an unknown town," the voice said, clear and high, "then you go around accepting fruit from strange people?"

 

Minseok turned, and looked into the same large blue eyes he had seen yesterday. "You're the cat from yesterday!" He gasped.

 

The man grinned, and Minseok gasped again, louder this time. "Wait!" He shouted, "You're the man from the Faerie market!"

 

The man's grin fell, and was replaced by a confused frown.

 

"We've met before!" Minseok exclaimed, "At the Faerie market at Wall!"

 

Minseok dug into his coat pocket excitedly, "You sold me this glass globe when I was twelve!"

 

In his palm was his glass globe, glowing a cheerful yellow, and it was this that managed to jog the man's memory.

 

"Oh, I remember now!" The man said delightedly, "You've grown so much, I didn't recognise you!"

 

"And you haven't aged a day!"

 

They laughed then, as Luhan stood puzzled beside them.

 

"Luhan," Minseok turned to him, "I met this man near Wall when I was a boy. What are the chances that I should meet him here so many years later!"

 

"My name is Jongdae," the man smiled, "What brings you this far away from Wall? It's not usually in the nature of humans to wander into Faerie."

 

"I came into Faerie in search of adventure," Minseok told him, "but now I am in search of a wizard named Suho. We need of his help."

 

Jongdae's eyebrows quirked up in surprise, and he chuckled, "What are the chances indeed."

 

He led them away from the market to a large stone house and knocked on the door crisply. When the door swung open, it revealed a handsome young man.

 

"Jongdae?" The man seemed to have been expecting someone else, "What are you knocking on the door for?" Then he looked up and noticed Minseok and Luhan standing further behind Jongdae.

 

"Oh," he said, "hello."

 

"Hello," Minseok greeted, "We are looking for Suho."

 

“Well, you found him,” He smiled, stepping out of the caravan, “Please, call me Junmyeon. I keep telling people not to call me Suho but it never seems to work.”

 

“What can you do, my lord,” Jongdae smirked, “people have a lot of respect for the guardian of the Violet Mountains.”

 

When they had been travelling in search of a wizard, Minseok had been expecting to find a wise old man with a magnificent beard, like the ones he had read about as a child. Instead, they had met a young man with a kind face and twinkling eyes, with hair so fair it was almost white. 

 

“We are in need of assistance” Minseok told him, “Captain Kris of the Exordius sent us, he said you would be able to help.”

 

“Kris? It’s been a long time since I last heard from him.”

 

Junmyeon invited them in, and the four of them sat around a table with mugs of ale as Minseok and Luhan recounted their encounter with the witch in the inn once again.

 

When they were done, Junmyeon and Jongdae exchanged troubled looks, and they were silent for a few minutes, thinking about what was to be done.

 

"Okay," Junmyeon finally said, "with magic as potent as you described, it won't be long before she tracks you down again, and when she does, we will have to fight her."

 

Minseok swallowed. They had barely managed to escape the last time, he dreaded to think what she would do now that she was angered.

 

"We can mask your presence slightly," Junmyeon said to Luhan, "make it harder for her to find you here, but it won't work for very long."

 

Luhan nodded, and softly, fearfully, he asked, "Why does she want my heart?"

 

"The heart of a star, when eaten, brings back youth and power. The witch would live well into the next age of the world." Junmyeon said, "And I suspect that you are not the first star she has hunted."

 

Suddenly, Jongdae jumped up and exclaimed, "Wait, there could be another way!" and ran out of the room.

 

When he returned, he came with a large book and set it down on the table with a loud thump. He flipped through the book, and when he found what he was looking for, he pushed the book over for Junmyeon to see.

 

"Of course! Excellent thinking, Jongdae." Junmyeon grinned, "Whatever will I do without you?"

 

Jongdae preened, smiling gleefully.

 

"Instead of fighting, which would be a whole lot of trouble, I can cast a spell that would make it impossible for her to see you, hear you or touch you." Junmyeon told Luhan, "Even if you stood right in front of her, she would not be able to know it. She'd never be able to find you or hurt you."

 

Minseok and Luhan looked to each other with wide eyes.

 

"However," Junmyeon continued cautiously, "this is a spell I have to cast on her physically. We will have to allow her to come to us first."

 

"Oh," Luhan deflated a little.

 

"So, essentially, we're setting up a trap?" Minseok asked, excitement growing.

 

Junmyeon nodded, smiling, "We should have enough time to make preparations. By my estimations, she should arrive in about a week."

 

In the next few days, Junmyeon and Jongdae bustled about collecting ingredients and preparing magical items, and Minseok and Luhan helped out where they could. The witch arrived at the mountain a week later, as Junmyeon had said. 

 

Her arrival was no surprise, for her presence carried a brewing storm, and they could see the dark clouds climbing slowly up the mountain. When she was close, the company of four went out into the forest beyond the town, Junmyeon unwilling to risk the safety of the townspeople.

 

They split up, Minseok with Luhan, and Junmyeon with Jongdae, and waited. 

 

Minseok pressed Yixing's opal medallion into Luhan's hand then, "Yixing said it protects against hexes and curses. You should hold on to it."

 

Luhan looked at Minseok, studying his face, and leaned forward. They kissed then, in the cool mountain air, and Minseok's heart raced in his chest and he felt warm. It was a short sweet kiss, and when they parted, they were aware of the woman watching them.

 

They turned to face the witch, and she sneered. Luhan took Minseok's hand and squeezed, the medallion pressed between their palms.

 

The witch took her step forward, drawing her cleaver. They stood their ground, unmoving and unafraid.

 

From behind the witch, Junmyeon approached unnoticed. A bright flash of light knocked the witch to her knees and Junmyeon grabbed her, one hand reaching around to cover her eyes. He recited his spell, his words coming out in a booming disembodied voice that made Minseok shiver. The witch screamed out, and then she was silent, and when Junmyeon released her, her eyes were dazed. She got to her feet, dusted off her knees and walked away, never once noticing Minseok nor Luhan, nor Junmyeon.

 

A cat slinked out from between the trees, shifting and changing as it walked, and then Jongdae stood before them. 

 

“Nice work, master,” Jongdae beamed with pride, taking Junmyeon’s hand and kissing him sweetly on the cheek. 

 

* * *

Minseok and Luhan stayed at the town for a few months after that. They spent their time exploring the town and making friends, though they remained closest to Junmyeon and Jongdae. Minseok learnt that most of the townfolk believed Jongdae to be Junmyeon's slave, and although that was initially true, they had grown to become lovers. Luhan had giggled at the idea of them as secret lovers, for he thought their affections for each other were obvious as day. In fact, with how much Junmyeon tried to please Jongdae, it was difficult to believe that Junmyeon was supposed to be the master in their dynamic.

 

They found work, and saved up enough to buy a mule, and in their spare time they managed to build themselves a simple carriage

 

When the pair had their fill of rest, they departed, for there was still much to explore and discover in Faerie. They met many new people, but they never forgot their old friends. 

 

At one point in their travels, Minseok managed to find his way back to the waterfall where the merboys lived. They were met with excited shouts when the brothers saw Minseok approaching in his humble carriage. Minseok grinned and introduced Luhan to them, informing them that he was the star they had seen so many months ago, and that he had indeed managed to find him and help him that night. They were overjoyed and in awe, for they had never met a star before.

 

* * *

Epilogue

  
  


Minseok and Luhan spent another few years in their travels before they finally headed back for Wall. When they arrived, various stallholders were already beginning to set up their tents for the Faerie market.

 

“We should visit my parents first,” Minseok said, “My mother would love to meet you.”

 

They crossed the meadow hand in hand, Minseok talking about all the things he missed about his village, and all the things he could not wait to show Luhan. From where they stood, Minseok could smell whiffs of the mutton stew that Mr Cha would cook up for the fair, and his spirits soared.

 

Luhan looked at the gap in the wall, and hesitated. “Are you sure about this? What if they don’t like me?”

 

Minseok squeezed Luhan’s hand and smiled. “They will.”

 

Minseok was about to take his first step through the gap when they heard a loud shrill voice calling out to them. They whipped around, and saw Jongdae running towards them across the meadow. Minseok and Luhan grinned, delighted to see their old friend when Jongdae started shouting again.

 

“Are you stupid?!” Jongdae yelled, shocking them both.

 

When Jongdae reached them, he took a few moments to catch his breath before he started scolding them again.

 

“You can’t bring Luhan into Wall!” Jongdae yelled at Minseok.

 

Then he turned to Luhan. “And you! What do you think you’re doing trying to leave Faerie?” Jongdae demanded.

 

Minseok’s eyes widened, “What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

 

Jongdae huffed, “What do fallen stars look like in the human world? Do they look like people?!”

 

“Well no,” Minseok said, baffled, “They’re large rocks from space. Oh!” 

 

He turned to Luhan with wide eyes, horrified, then at Jongdae, who was looking at him with a most disdainful look.

 

“Why didn’t you stop me?” Minseok asked Luhan, aghast.

 

“Well, I, I wasn’t sure,” Luhan stuttered. “and you looked so excited, how was I to tell you..” He mumbled, trailing off.

 

Jongdae rolled his eyes and grabbed Minseok’s wrist, pulling the pair back across the meadow to where Junmyeon was waiting in a brightly painted caravan. 

 

“You can see your parents when they visit the fair tonight.” Jongdae told Minseok firmly.

 

When the fair was at the peak of its festivities that night, Minseok found his parents at Mr Cha’s food stall, where many Wall locals gathered to eat. He called out to his mother and when she set eyes on him, her eyes brimmed with tears. 

 

“Minseok!” She cried out, “Oh, is it really you?”

 

She took his face in his hands and stared at him for a long while, taking in all the changes he had grown into in the past nine years he had been away. He grinned and nodded, pulling her into his arms. 

 

“I’m glad you made it back safely, son,” His father said, pride in his voice and relief in his eyes, and hugged him too.

 

When he pulled away, and his mother had calmed herself, Minseok turned to Luhan and took his hand, pulling him forward. 

 

“This is Luhan,” Minseok told his parents, heart fluttering nervously.

 

His mother looked at Luhan and smiled, warm and friendly, and embraced him in a hug too.

 

They spent the rest of the evening sat around a table, feasting on Mr Cha’s food as Minseok told his parents about all he had seen in Faerie. They smiled and laughed when Minseok told them about all the friends he had made and the marvelous things he had seen, and they cried and scolded when Minseok told of the trouble he got into. 

 

When the night came to a close, Minseok walked his parents back to the gap in the wall, and said goodbye to them, promising to visit them again soon. 

 

Then, with Luhan by his side, he walked across the meadow, and into Faerie once more. 

  
  



End file.
